Operation QEII

I wish today had been more exciting. However, it was still a pretty great day.

I woke up, showered, and went to class at 11. There were, again, only 6 people there. I didn't even want to go, since I've finished my paper, and I won't be tested on any of this. But I went because I feel like I should be there, plus I feel bad because no one goes! As it turns out, it really was a big waste of time. He didn't even have an actual lecture--instead he gave us a brief overview of next years Soc Theory class, and told us we should take it. We were only in class for 40 minutes.

After class, I decided I was both hungry and tired, so I went straight back to my room. I HAD planned on doing a little bit of stalking. The Queen came to Bangor today. I knew she was coming, but had NO idea why. I also knew where she would be--I got an email about which parking lots were off-limits, and when access to certain buildings would be restricted.

This morning, when Melisa went to her morning class, she learned the purpose of the Queen's visit...she was visiting her grandson HARRY who happens to LIVE NEARBY. Seriously? He's lived nearby (on the Isle of Anglesey) the entire time I've been here? I totally could have tried to meet him. Hahaha. Right. But seriously. He's been here?! Apparently the Queen chose to have her lunch in Bangor with some dignitaries, because she thinkgs Bangor is very pretty. I agree :) Look, I have something in common with the Queen.

Anyway, I didn't have much hope of actually seeing the Queen. There was security up and down the street, and I didn't feel like waiting outside the building for her. I'd be a terrible stalker, I'm much to lazy. One of the girls I've met (through Kat and Lauren) is from Germany but studying here, and she must have done a better job stalking than I, because I see she posted some pictures of the Queen in her car. Apparently a whole bunch of people lined up and down the street to see her? I didn't see those people when I was nearby, which makes me sad. I would have loved to see the Queen! But I've been pretty lucky anyway...I mean, I got to see the Pope last month.

At any rate, I met Melisa for lunch. We may have made a giant mess because we made buttered noodles, but dropped a bowl of noodles (and butter) all over the floor. We're not the most graceful girls, but it's ok :)

I took a nap, and cleaned some more today. My room looks beautiful :) After dinner, Melisa and I are going out. I don't plan on being back in time to blog tonight, so I'm posting my blog now. We're hoping to have lots of adventures tonight.

Bright, sunshiny days.

Surprisingly enough, having no class today made it...just like any other day. Hmm. I stayed up quite late last night, partially because I haven't been sleeping well, and partially because I knew I had no class, and I wanted to talk to everyone. I miss everyone!

I slept in until about 1:20...success :) I've been trying to sleep in lately, and just failing. I'm glad I was able to waste the early hours of the day sleeping :) Melisa and I had a late lunch, and then hung out until she had to go to class. Before her class, we went to the library to print our papers. I printed both my psych paper and my sociology paper. It took forever. Not kidding. It took me about 8 minutes to get the computer to log me in, and for everything to load. And then I couldn't get Internet Explorer to work. OMG. I am not a patient person, and waiting for the computer was painful. We had about 40 minutes to print stuff before Melisa's class started. She had to leave me because she had class, and I STILL WASN'T DONE. I did get it to work, though, and then I went and turned both of my papers in. It was quite exciting :)

It was SO nice out today. Sunny and warm. I keep forgetting my sunglasses when I go outside, because who really expects it to be super sunny in the UK? Definitely not me. I just wandered around squinting. I'm sure I looked funny, especially since I was feeling lazy today and I wore my sweatpants out. Ha. I think I've seen one person wearing sweatpants here, and she might have been an American. I find it kind of funny.

I spent the remainder of my afternoon REALLY cleaning my room. It makes me feel much better when my room is clean and organized. Then I went over to Melisa's room for dinner. We had pizza and watched some TV online.

After that, I just came back to my room and talked to people. I got to skype with Justine, and then my mom, which made me very happy :) I've been missing home a lot lately, but I know I'll miss Wales, so I've started a list of things that I will miss.

1) The mountains
2) The sea
3) Having my own room, with a private bathroom and shower.
4) Having endless amounts of free time.
5) Feeling very independent.
6) Drinking tea.
7) Making dinner each night (who knew I'd like that?)
8) Getting mail from home :) I get mail when I'm at Ripon, but it's not as great as the packages I've gotten while here.
9) Being able to hop on buses to just about anywhere, for just a few pounds.
10) Trivia nights!
11) The very moderate weather (which has been quite sunny as of late)

I'm sure there is more, but that's my list for today. I'm currently watching movies online, and I suppose I'll go to bed soon. I do have class tomorrow. Also, I'm hoping to see the Queen, because she'll be in Bangor. Details to come :)

Party in the USA?

I love doing nothing all day. It's quite nice. I got up around 11, and sat around. I looked over my two papers, and took a shower. Very mundane stuff, I know.

Melisa and I had lunch, and watched Coyote Ugly today. We mostly sat around and talked. I cleaned my room a little bit. It's been really messy, and it bothers me.

We also went to trivia tonight. Varsity has FREE trivia on Sunday nights. It was a lot of fun...Melisa, Kat, Lauren, Noelia, and I actually knew 22 answers...out of 70. Not the best, but we enjoyed it. I actually knew about 5 answers, which is very unusual for me. Some of the questions were about music, and some were about current movies, and I knew those :) Although, they played songs from this weeks UK top 40, and I waws highly disappointed in their top 40. Party in the USA? Still? AND...Killing in the Name of, by Rage Against the Machine. Those songs are not new, and I don't think they should still be in the TOP 40!

I might look over my papers one more time tonight...not like I have anything better to do. I'm going to print them both tomorrow...since I don't have class AT ALL. I guess it's like a continuation of the weekend, only Melisa has class so I'll just be...hanging out by myself. Exciting.

Dandelion and Burdock.

Today was a continuation of the dance movie marathon. It was pretty great! I woke up around 10:30...my body does not like sleeping any later than that, which is quite disappointing. I definitely wasted my morning online, and did nothing productive.

When Melisa woke up, we had lunch and watched Step Up. After that, we wandered down to the pier. It was SO nice out today, and I love going down to the pier. But the water is really low lately. In some spots, you can see the bottom 3/4 of the way across the strait. I'm not sure why--I will say that it hasn't rained (that I've noticed) since I've been back from break. And it didn't rain for three weeks before break either. The weather has been really strange.

After going to the pier, we decided to try to find some sheep. We went on a sheep-spotting mission. We found some benches along the road, and it was pretty so we hung out, watched sheep, and talked. It sounds so exciting, I know, but it was peaceful. It's really nice to just sit outside, but benches are hard to find. Apparently you need to walk along busy roads to find them?

Then, we watched Take the Lead, ran to the store, and had dinner. It's such a great life. We were told that we should try this soda--Dandelion and Burdock. They said it tastes like Dr. Pepper! But I smelled it, and it smelled like bubble gum. Melisa tried it (I really didn't think it was a good idea) and said it was like a mix between bubble gum and licorice. Not a good combination, actually, and she does not recommend it.

Other than watching movies and wandering around outside, it's been a very easy day. I still need to edit my papers, but I'm enjoying slacking. I guess I'll be doing that tomorrow, in between more dance movies ;)

Foucault fail.

Today was not an exciting day. I woke up with the same stupid headache I've had all week. Nothing makes it go away :( But other than that, things have been good.

I went to class from 11-12. I really didn't want to go. I knew there would only be a few people there, as always. And today we talked about Foucault. I don't know anything about Foucault, and I don't have the book. I never bought it, and I've done just fine without it. But the information that I found on Foucault was really...complicated. It was not easy to understand. So I kind of gave up trying to figure it out. Of course, there were THREE people in class, none of whom were supposed to present. Our TA asked us what we thought of Foucault, and I told him that I had been looking for information, but that it honestly made no sense. So he explained it all, which was nice. I can't say that his explanations made total sense either, but it made more sense than the info I found online. Oh, and I'm not excited to read about the next lecture, because apparently the theorist DELIBERATELY made his text as obscure and hard to read as possible. He thought that if it was too easy to interpret, it would just become a tool of society? I'm definitely not looking forward to reading that...

After class, I met Melisa for lunch, and then I napped. I have NOT been sleeping well at night, so I think I'm going to do a lot of napping this weekend. We don't have plans--Ireland was a bust last weekend, and we really aren't feeling motivated to try anything else. I'm looking forward to relaxing. We are having a movie watching weekend--and all the movies we are watching are dancing movies. We watched Dirty Dancing today, as well as Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights. I probably should have predicted how the second one would end, considering current relations between Cuba and the US. Kind of disappointing. Anyway, we've compiled a list of movies that we plan on watching this weekend. Between a few different online movie websites, and Youtube, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to watch all of them.

I do need to edit my two papers this weekend, but I'm not overly concerned. I don't have class Monday. In fact, I don't have my psych class for the last few weeks of the semester because he ran out of things to lecture about. I guess I'll enjoy my free time?

Oh, I also read Melissa's senior seminar paper today. I really enjoyed it, actually. It's about women during the Civil War. She got to analyze diaries of different women, which I think is pretty cool. It was way more interesting than any of the articles I read for my paper. Bah.

Other than that, today was a pretty laid-back day. My entire weekend will be like that, so don't expect particularly exciting blogs, although I'm sure I'll find something to write about ;)

An endless day of paper-writing and dance parties.

I set my alarm and got up around 10 to work on my paper. I finished reading my sources this morning. It was not exciting, and I spent an inordinate amount of time dancing around my room and listening to music, rather than working. I took a shower around noon, and went over to Melisa's for lunch.

After lunch, I came back and worked on my paper for a few hours. I started writing. As with my last paper, this one is taking forever because I take a break at least once or twice per paragraph. I KNOW I have plenty of time, which makes it really hard for me to focus. We had an early dinner, and I had a skype date with one of my best friends from home :)

I'm currently at 1811 words. I need "around 2500 words" and I think as long as I'm somewhere close, I won't care. I have another paragraph to write, and I can make a lovely, long conclusion full of bs. I really just don't care. On the bright side, this paper is turning out better than I thought I would. It's actually not a terrible paper, although it isn't very interesting.

We had quiz night tonight, which was exciting as always. I actually knew some answers this time. It made me feel smart. But I can never remember where I learned the answers. For example, "Which famous person in history had a horse named Marengo?" I knew that the answer as Napoleon. How do I know that? And why? Why are the only random facts I know about people like Napoleon?

I'll be up for a few more hours. I want to finish this paper, and maybe watch a movie. Why not? Tomorrow is Friday, and I only have one class. It's not like I can't NAP sometime.

The paper-writing never ends.

This is my attempt to blog before midnight (my time, of course).

I did very little today. I boycotted the gym (again) because I haven't been sleeping well. I keep trying to sleep in, and failing miserably. I think I might boycott the gym all week. I'm really trying to get these two papers done, but I have no motivation and they're kind of boring. It's not my fault--I don't have much freedom. At least I had options for my sociology paper, even if most of them were terrible choices. In order to get 2500 words, I think some sources are necessary. But some of the topics are very...theoretical, and stupid. Just stupid.

I did have lunch with Melisa. Her computer broke today...it's coming apart, at the section that connects the screen to the keyboard. It doesn't look good, although it still works. Her week really hasn't been getting better. Poor girl.

After lunch, I edited my psych paper a tiny bit. I'm going to do real editing this weekend, after Lissa checks it over. I figure I can edit both of my papers this weekend. Should be a really exciting weekend...

I went to my psych discussion class. We talked about the final exam, and went over a few questions from previous years. I'm really nervous about the final, because we covered quite a bit of information. But I have gone to class regularly, and I pay attention. Plus I'll have plenty of time to study before the exam. I also had to ask HOW and WHERE I turn in my psych paper--they tend to forget that this is the first and only paper I have to hand in for the psych department. But one of the girls from my class (a girl I've never seen before, mind you) took my down and explained everything to me. She was very nice :)

After class, Melisa and I hung out for a while. If her computer really does die, which it looks like it will, we'll probably be spending a lot more time in my room. You know, the one with a working computer. We did go back over to her room for dinner, since that is where all the food is. After dinner, I settled down to "work" on my paper. That means I've been kind of reading my articles for it, and finding useful information, while taking frequent breaks for Facebook, etc. I am very determined to finish this paper this week, though, so that I can edit both papers this weekend. I will get it done.

So...I'm on my fourth source for my sociology paper. Well, it's actually my fifth one. And I have SEVEN more. I was hoping to finish all the reading tonight. Bah. That probably won't happen. Maybe. I'm just so tired, and I've had this stupid headache all day. I'm contemplating staying up until I finish reading everything, and then sleeping in. But sleeping in has been a fail all week. I don't know. Maybe I'll pull an all-nighter, and then I can finish reading AND writing. It's not like I have class tomorrow...

I should probably blog before 12:30 the next morning :S

Today was very exciting. Well, ok, not that exciting. But I liked it :)

I went to class at 11. It was quite boring, and I'm not entirely sure why I still go. There isn't a final exam, and we've already covered the material that I'll be writing my paper about. But I feel like I SHOULD be there, and plus I feel bad for the professor. There were 6 people there today, and he actually said that it felt weird to lecture to six people. Poor guy. I guess I'll just keep going to class. It's not like I have anything better to do.

I skipped the gym again. I'm tired, and lazy. I figure it'll all be ok. I do want to go tomorrow though. I'll be productive, I promise.

I kept getting distracted today. I forgot to eat lunch, but instead snacked on a billion mini muffins today. Now those are gone :( But that's ok. I got to Skype with my mom and I loved it :) Someday I'll actually get to SEE her again, in person and all that. There might be a lot of crying. I miss my mom. But I suppose I'll see her soon(ish). I'm sure the time will fly by and all, like it has been. I just feel like I've been waiting forever!

I did some research today, and found about 10 articles that look like they should work for my sociology paper. That's what I'll be writing tomorrow--I am less than enthused. But I'm going to try to make it a good paper. I want to do well. It's frustrating though...I still don't know how I did on the last paper. Will I ever know? I wish I knew how things worked here!

I ALSO got to Skype with my lovely ADPi's today. I read a letter that I wrote to Angela, since she is a senior and all. I was successful at not crying, mostly. It was SO nice to see all my lovely ADPi's. I can't even explain how much I miss those girls. They've been so great the entire time that I've been done. Whenever I am lonely, or sad, or even happy, I know they want to hear all about it. They call me, and talk to me, and make me feel loved. I'm beyond excited to go back and hang out with them next semester!

There are so many things I am looking forward to. I have a little list:
1) Seeing my family and friends!
2) Eating and drinking stuff that they don't have here, like Twinkies, Mountain Dew and TACO BELL.
3) Being able to DRIVE myself places, and not hope that there is a bus that will take me near where I want to go.
4) Not having an accent.
5) Understanding everyone when they talk.
6) MY FRIEND DANI'S WEDDING (I'm her maid of honor this summer!)
7) Being able to spend money in DOLLARS instead of POUNDS. Ugh.
8) Sleeping in my own bed.
9) Being able to call and text everyone :)
10) Just being in the U.S. It's pretty fantastic, even in comparison to Europe.

Ok. That's probably good for now. I'm sure I've forgotten things, because I've just gone without them for so long! I guess it hasn't been too bad. Maybe tomorrow I will type up the list of things I'll miss, because there actually is one. Bangor really grew on me, and I know I'll miss it. Luckily I still have time to explore and enjoy it!

Good intentions...

Today was a randomly good day. I set my alarm so I could work out, but I woke up WAY early and my legs are still sore from my misadventures in Ireland. I went back to sleep instead, or tried to. Unfortunately, they like to clean the dorms on Monday mornings. Loudly. I'm surprised they didn't break any dishes in the kitchen. Maybe they did--they made enough noise.

I got up and had a lazy morning. I worked on the reference list for my psych paper. I went over to Melisa's for lunch, and hung out for a while. I got my stuff and went to class, but Melisa has been having a series of unfortunate events in her life lately, and I got a text saying she needed me. Class hadn't even started yet, so I got up and left. I got the notes though, because my professor prints them out for us. I'll read through them, no worries. I know he saw me leave, but it's ok--I haven't missed a class yet, and it was clear that I intended to be there.

So Melisa and I talked, and then decided we wanted to watch a "scary" movie. We couldn't pick a good one...so we picked a bad one. We watched the sequel to "The Ring" which was pretty terrible, but amusing. And it gave us something to do. Oh, we also went grocery shopping. We bought some miscellaneous food items, like scones and muffins. All necessary, really.

After hanging out and movie watching, we headed back over to Melisa's room for dinner. We made boxed macaroni and cheese (thanks family!) and it was great :) I did eventually come back to my room, and then I sat around and wasted time. I have been researching for my sociology paper. I'm trying to find sources--I figure that whatever topic I can find the most sources for is the one that I will do. But there is one topic that I think I like more than the others, so that's really the only one I've been researching. Ha. I've found about four articles. I figure I can check out the textbook from the library again, and I can cite lecture notes. So that's six, which isn't too bad. They don't really seem to care much here. But we'll see--I still don't know how I did on the last paper. I was told that no one failed, and that the papers had been passed on to the second grader. Maybe we'll get those back tomorrow? Bah. I might be too scared to look at it anyway :S

I need to get some work done tomorrow. I'd really like to get this second paper done, or at least partially done. I'm very impatient, but can't seem to settle down and start working. I guess I'll have to work on that!

Apr 19, 2010

Whoops. I got a little distracted yesterday, and was super tired...so I never posted my blog. But this was my day yesterday:

Considering that I didn't make it back until very early in the morning, I slept in. Melisa and I had lunch, and I wasted away my afternoon. I did absolutely nothing productive. I just didn't feel like it, after my incredibly long Saturday. So I talked to people all day :)

After dinner, I did finally work on my paper. 2757 words. I was told that I have 10% either way...so 2757 will be just fine :) I do need to finish my references, and I desperately need to edit the paper. I don't like it at all. It's going to need a lot of work. I'm not excited. But I'm SO relieved that I finished my draft. Now I can put it aside for a few days and write my sociology paper. Then I can edit both of them, and be done! Once my papers are done, all I have is one final to study for :)

I talked to my parents and my sister yesterday. I think they enjoyed my stories about Ireland. Well, maybe not. They weren't the best stories. I've decided that this week is going to go much better than last week. It helps that I only have to write one more paper--that doesn't seem like too much work. So I should have plenty of time to relax!

Apr 18, 2010: "If we don't get on this ferry, I'm going to punch someone in the face and go to jail. Then I'd have a place to stay AND a ride there."

So, we went to Ireland today. It was an epic fail. I did love Ireland, so much, and I'd love to go back. But not anytime soon. Maybe I'll have better luck if I wait a few YEARS.

We got up at 6:30, made sandwiches, and hopped on the bus to Holyhead. We almost missed the check-in for our ferry, but were able to get on. I thought it was great--we really got lucky! Ha.We might have been better off missing the ferry. But then I never would have seen Ireland, which would have been quite sad.

The ferry was nice, and I loved it. It was a lot of fun--I took lots of pictures! The ferry took us from Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire (pronounced dun leary). From there, we were supposed to take the DART train to Dublin. Nothing was labelled and there were no maps. We were told to go one direction, so we did--but it wasn't what our ticket said. So we changed directions, and went to our ticket destination--which, by the way, was the OPPOSITE direction of Dublin. It was pretty though, and we were in no rush. We got back on the train, and actually went to Dublin. We spent our first two hours in Ireland on the train, but weren't really bothered by it.

We wandered for a little while around Dublin, and then asked for directions to the old Jameson distillery. It was fairly easy to find. We decided not to tour, but just visited the gift shop. Melisa needed souvenirs! After the Jameson distillery, we walked back to the shopping area. Dublin has TONS of shops--it's incredible. On the way back to the shops, at about 3:30, I got a text message. Keep in mind that we had only been in Dublin for about an HOUR at this point. The text was from Stenaline--our ferry company. This is what it said: "CANCELLED Stena Lynx 1925hrs Sailing Sat 17/04, due to technical problems. Please rebook on phone 003531247777." PANIC. They cancelled our ferry back to Wales. I tried calling, again and again, but considering that they had cancelled on several hundred people, the line was busy EVERY time. Once I got through and got put on hold, but had to hang up because I didn't have very many minutes on my phone.

We had NO idea what to do, because we couldn't get ahold of Stenaline. We knew there was an earlier ferry, but we didn't know what time it left. There's no way we could afford to get a hotel in Dublin, if we could even find one. On the ferry ride over, there were a TON of people who were staying in Ireland for an indeterminate amount of time--they were waiting for flights out. I have no doubt that many of them were staying in hotels, and at airports, just waiting for flights. So, we hopped on the DART train back to Dún Laoghaire, and went to the Stenaline office. There were three workers who were standing around doing literally nothing, and ONE person working at the ticket counter. We stood in line for 20 minutes, before one of the people finally helped us. He told us to go the Dublin Port (near where we HAD been) and to get a ferry from there. He advised us to get off at the Tara Street stop, and hop on a bus to the port.

So, we took the DART train back to Tara Street. We found the bus stop, and it said that there was a bus leaving at 7:15. We went to Subway, and got some food, then went back to wait. However, while waiting, Melisa realized that a 7:15 bus would be useless--all times here, for trains, planes, buses, etc., are in military time...you know, a 24 hour clock. So...7 is in the morning, which would just not work for us.

At this point, we were a little frustrated. There was no guarantee that we would even get on a ferry back to Holyhead. But, we kept going anyway--we didn't really have a choice. While walking, Melisa thought of excuses as to why we needed a ferry back immediately. These were her stories: 1) "I'm diabetic but didn't bring medication because we were supposed to get back today." 2) "Ok, this is the plan. Are you listening? When we get there, you are going to punch me in the face so I can cry. And then I'll tell them that my dad just died and I need to make it back for his funeral." and 3) "If we don't get on this ferry, I'm going to punch someone in the face and go to jail. Then I'd have a place to stay AND a ride there."

After speed-walking about 8 miles (pedometer = super handy), we found the Stenaline office at Dublin Port. However, their ferries were all booked until sometime on Monday. They told us that we were being re-routed again, this time through another company--Irish Ferries. We were given directions to the Irish Ferry ticket office, where I stood in line for an hour and a half, only to be told that I didn't need to wait--I could just board the ferry.

Success, right? Well, kind of. The ferry was super nice, and HUGE, but it took three and a half HOURS to get to Holyhead. It wouldn't have been so bad, except we were exhausted, and it arrived in Holyhead at 12:20 am. From the ferry, we rode on the top of a double-decker bus to the terminal. It might have been the highlight of my day. At least I can check that off of my list now.

Now for the BAD news. We had round-trip bus tickets back to Bangor, but the last bus to Bangor left at 11:30 pm. No more trains or buses from Holyhead until 8:45 am. And the bus/ferry/train stations all closed--so it's not like we could sleep there. We didn't know where to find a hotel. Plus, there were over 1,000 people on that ferry. Holyhead is not that big--where did they all plan on staying?!? Our only option, literally ONLY option, was to take a taxi. I guess we could have walked, but it was about 25 miles and very dark.

Our taxi driver was very nice, and he sped like crazy. We were back in 30 minutes. We did, however, have to pay 80 POUNDS for the 25 mile ride. It was terrible, and we are NOT happy. Stenaline will be getting a very angry email. Even if they refunded my entire trip, I'd still be out money for that stupid taxi. Melisa and I are SO angry. I went back to my room, and had no internet. Really? Really?!? SO I went back to Melisa's room, where I wrote all this. I also called my dad on Skype and shared my wonderful stories. Then, at 2 am, I had some leftover stir fry. Ha. We hardly ate, other than some Subway--we were too busy running around.

Someday it'll be funny. But right now, I'm exhausted and terribly annoyed. Not the best of days. But the weather was GORGEOUS, and I really did love Ireland. I just wish I hadn't spent the entire time running around.

2,040 words.

I spent way too much time today doing nothing. I got up for my 11:00 class, which was nothing too exciting. Claudia, the German girl, presented today. I can't always understand her accent, so I didn't completely understand everything. But it seemed good.

I met Melisa for lunch, and hung out for a little while. I came back to my room and attempted to work on my paper. I wrote about 100 words, and I did not enjoy it. I got an email saying that Bangor was going to clean my showerhead today. They cleaned Melisa's yesterday, which is how I knew what to expect. By clean, they mean that they are going to TAKE my showerhead and replace it at some point later in the day. Not convenient, because I wanted to go work out (and wake up) but I wanted to make sure I could shower first. After they brought my showerhead back (around 2:30) I went to the gym. There was no one in the room where I worked out, which was actually pretty nice. And I had a really great workout--I felt really good, and it put me in a good mood.

Good moods don't last so long when you have to write stupid papers. Bah. I didn't work on my paper much this afternoon. Instead, I finished watching PS I Love You with Melisa. I've decided I'm going to marry Gerard Butler. But I'll settle for meeting a cute Irish guy tomorrow, when we go to Dublin!

After dinner, I did FINALLY work on my paper. I told myself that if I wrote another 1000 words, I could stop until Sunday. So I did. I'm at 2,040 words. I do not like this paper. I have a pretty good idea about what my last 700-1000 words will say, so that's good. But it's not organized very well, and I know it's going to need a lot of work. Good thing I still have 10 days? I do have to write my sociology paper when I finish this one, which I am also not excited for. But really, this is pretty much the only work I've had to do all semester. I probably shouldn't complain.

In other news, I was reading the news in an attempt to avoid my paper. What a terrible idea! There are bad things happening! For example,  volcano erupting in Iceland. That's bad for SO many reasons. First of all, I can't imagine what ash/lava would do to someone's house. Second, it is creating a massive ash cloud in the sky. This ash cloud is just hanging out above the UK/Europe. Apparently it's really bad for airplanes to fly through giant clouds of ash--kind of dangerous, you know. So all these flights at a bunch of big international airports have been delayed indefinitely. I realize I still have plenty of time before I want to fly home (my final is on May 19th) but I'd like this volcano to stop erupting now. I looked up MORE news on the volcano (again, terrible choice!) and found even more bad news. It could erupt for MONTHS. In fact, the last time it erupted, it lasted for over a year. A YEAR. Touché world, not like I wanted to come home anytime SOON. Aso, there is another volcano right near the erupting one, that has frozen glaciers on top of it. This erupting volcano could melt those glaciers, causing the SECOND volcano to erupt. And apparently that would be much worse, because, and I QUOTE,

"However, as Science Fair noted previously, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano isn't necessarily the main problem. It's Katla, Iceland's noisier neighbor, that's the concern. If lava flowing from Eyjafjallajokull melts the glaciers that hold down the top of Katla, then Katla could blow its top, pumping gigantic amounts of ash into the atmosphere...The potential eruption of Iceland's volcano Katla could send the world, including the USA, into an extended deep freeze."

I don't think I want to read the news anymore. And it's past time for bed, since I'm meeting Melisa at 7:15 tomorrow to go to IRELAND! We're taking a ferry, which is one of the few reasons we can still GO. Maybe we can just take a ferry all the way back to the US ;)

QUIZ NIGHT!

I'm not sure how I'm so ridiculously tired today, but I am. I guess I did go to bed at 2 this morning. Ha. Maybe that does make sense. But I got to talk to so many people last night--mostly friends from high school. It was really nice.

I did not want to work out this morning, but I'm so glad I did. I always feel great after I work out. This old lady makes me feel pathetic when she is there--at least, on the bike. I'm not really a fan, but I figure I have time, so why not? I always bike a couple hills...but she always does these ridiculous variable hills, and I'm awfully impressed.

I met Melisa for lunch, and we started watching PS I Love You. She hasn't seen it yet, but I feel like it's a must-see before we go to Ireland (which is on SATURDAY!). And then I came back and worked on my paper. I actually did work today. I wrote about 1000 words, which means I'm 1/3 of the way done. I'm planning on finishing it tomorrow (or nearly finishing it, we'll see how that goes).

After working (very slowly) this afternoon, we had dinner (leftovers) and hung out for a while. Tonight was Quiz Night! It was nice to get out again. We still didn't know very many answers. But I knew at least one, which is pretty normal for me. I was hoping there would be a question or two about the upcoming UK elections, because I read about them today. They are doing their first live debates on tv--an idea they got from the US. Gordon Brown vs. David Cameron--May 6th. That's basically all I know. Anyway, there weren't any questions about that. Highly disappointing. Maybe next week. It was still fun, as it always is :)

I probably should have worked more on my paper after Quiz Night, but I figured I was better off just relaxing. I'm too tired....whatever I write now would NOT be quality work. Sorry blog-readers...you get the random, tired, disorganized thoughts! I suppose that means it's time for bed...

More research, less paper-writing...

Today was a long day, but a good one. I went to the gym this morning (yay me) and worked out. My body did not want to work out today. But I did, and I lifted weights, so now my shoulders are angry too. What a sad day.

I went to class, even though I was exhausted. I haven't been sleeping well, and I'm pretty sure I just didn't sleep last night. I thought about napping before class, but I knew that if I did, I'd never make it to class. So, I went to class. We talked about the assignment....again. For the next two weeks, though, we're going to talk about the final. Something different! But I really like talking about the assignment, because I feel more focused and motivated after we do.

Melisa met me after class and we walked to the Pound Store, where you can buy four pepsis for a pound, which we enjoy. I've been needing caffeine. And then, I cleaned my room (which I always do before I write a paper) and did some research. I keep wanting more research, although I think I have all I need.

I took a break from working to have dinner. We made fajitas, which I've come to love. We finished watching Van Wilder--that movie always puts me in a good mood. Then I came back and (surprise) did more research. I actually closed Facebook and all that. It was serious research. But frustrating, because my internet is loading sooooooo slowly lately. It's driving me nuts. Who wants to do anything online when you have to sit and wait for each page to load? I'm very impatient. But I did more research, and I wrote down my plan for my paper. So that's progress, at least. The plan is to actually write the paper (or most of it) tomorrow. I don't have class, so it's not like I have anything better to do. I'm planning on working out in the morning, but that will wake me up so that I can do work. And I suppose I have lunch plans with Melisa, but that's a necessity. I have all afternoon and evening to work on this paper, which is due on April 28th. I'm going to be really glad when it's done--now if only I could summon the motivation to DO it.

After researching for a few hours, Melisa and I decided we needed to get out. So we went for a walk, and ended up at the late-night store. We got candy bars (new ones each time we go!) and these VK vodka drinks. I've heard they are really good, and so we decided to try them. Mine was cherry, which actually tasted just like a Jolly Rancher. Not bad, really. As for candy, I got a roll of Cadbury eclairs, which are really good. I'd like to bring home a ton of candy and nutella, haha.

And now I suppose I should go to bed, or something. Tomorrow will be full of paper-writing--and no doubt, procrastination.

Q of the Day: How was Europe?

Remembering to blog is getting really hard. I keep thinking that I'm tired, so I get ready for bed. And then I know there is something I'm supposed to do, but it takes me a while to remember what. I couldn't leave people without an update!

I went to my soc class from 11-1. There were about 8 people there, out of the 20ish people that I know are in the class. It's a better proportion than my psych class, I guess. Still, it's kind of sad. I realized today why I like going to class even though it's a little bit boring...I really miss social interaction. One of my classmates (Claudia, who is from Germany) asked me how Europe was, and it made my day. She recognized me, and remembered about my plans. My TA and my professor both asked about spring break as well. I felt very loved. They may not know my name, but they kind of know me?

After class, I went to the gym. It wasn't as hard to get back to working out as I thought it'd be. I'm still in pretty good shape, and I was able to run a couple miles, lift weights, and then bike some hills. I felt very productive. As for my paper(s)....not so much. I did actually write a paragraph for my psych paper. I have all these ideas, and I know I just need to put them together, but finding the motivation is pretty hard. I'm still working on it.

Melisa and I watched Van Wilder during dinner today. It's probably one of my favorite movies, although I have about a billion favorites. Between the movie, and all the new music that I've been listening to online, I'm in a really good music. It's just a non-stop dance party in my room, and I love it. Oh AND I got to skype with Lissa for a little while, and then Dani and Molly :) I can't even explain how happy I was to talk to people back at Ripon. So, all-in-all, a pretty good day!

Back to class? Bah.

I am SO tired today! My body does not like this new time schedule, and I think it's rebelling a little too much. I could not fall asleep last night, and then I woke up this morning at 7. Really? REALLY? I never want to get out of bed that early.

So, I boycotted the gym because I already had a headache from not sleeping. Melisa came over for a little while, and then I went to class. I was not overly excited, but at the same time, I don't have anything better to do. It was me, and about 6 or 7 other students, out of the original 40-some that used to be in class. I feel really bad for the professors here. They don't seem to mind, and our professor lectured just like normal. He let us out 30 minutes early, because the lecture was kind of short. And we've also done really well at staying on schedule this semester. We already have week 12 off, because it's the week before our final. And now he might give us week 11 off as well, because...well, I'm not sure why. Maybe he really is tired of lecturing to a handful of students. I wouldn't blame him.

I wanted to nap after class, but somehow got distracted. I should probably delete Facebook, I know I'd find myself with a lot more free time. I did some laundry, but that's about it. I looked over the possible topics for my sociology paper, but they are just stupid. I'm going to have a terrible time finding resources for these very theoretical, opinion-based essay prompts. And I opened up a word document for my psych paper. I didn't actually type anything, but I saved it. Ha. I figure starting it is always the hardest part, so if I just force myself to start, it'll be better? Maybe tomorrow I'll actually type some words.

I went over to Melisa's room for dinner. We still have that GIANT bag of noodles, but it's finally starting to get less full. We'll just need to eat noodles every other day until we leave....

Then we went to the late-night store for snacks. I wanted a Pepsi :) And I got this really great candy bar. It's called "drifter" which sounds sketchy, I know, but it was really good. Basically a mix between a twix and a kit-kat. Definite win for Nestle.

I talked to a few people online, which is always nice. But now I'm giving up and going to bed. I'm tired and have no motivation to do anything else!

Back to my lazy Sundays :)

I'm having the hardest time re-adjusting my schedule to Bangor time. My sleeping is off--I'm ridiculously tired. And meals are the worst. I'm used to having lunch around 2/3 and dinner around 9/10. That's NOT going to work now that I'm back in Bangor. I'm going to have to starve myself or something, until I'm actually hungry at meal times.

I woke up around 10:30, had some mini chocolate chip muffins for breakfast :) Then I worked on typing up my blog again. I'm all caught up, which is very exciting! It was a lot of work, so I hope my faithful few readers enjoy it ;)

After finally posting all my blog, I started on the Facebook photo albums. That was not fun. I had to try to pick the "best" pictures, and label all of them. But I didn't know what everything was when I was there! So between my maps that I've collected, and google, I figured some of it out :)

Melisa and I made alfredo for dinner. I could barely eat it, I so wasn't hungry at 6:30. This needs to change. I'm getting up in the morning to work out, and then I'll be starting to work on my two last papers. I'm not excited. The possible topics for my sociology paper are very...opinion-based and theoretical. But I need resources. Those two things don't actually fit together very well. It's kind of frustrating.

On a more positive note, I filled out a scholarship application today. I had to write a page autobiography, about community service and my goals. It was really refreshing to sit and think about how things I've done have had an impact on my life. I've done Big Brothers Big Sisters for three years now, and it was during this that I realized what I want to do with my life. And that never would have happened without Big Brothers Big Sisters, despite the frustrations and challenges I've had with it, and my "little." Working with a boy with ADHD hasn't been easy, but it's been one of the most worthwhile things I've done while at Ripon. And the BBBS coordinator emailed me--she met with my "little" this semester, and he really misses me :) Things like that are nice to hear, and it reminds me that what I'm doing is worthwhile..I have a goal, and a plan.

Apr 10, 2010: More lazy days

And so ends my exciting stories. I woke up around 10:30 am, starving and with no food. So, I went to the grocery store by myself. Melisa bought actual meal ingredients, so I just needed snacks. I bought: bread (the kind you tear off), mini chocolate chip muffins, chocolate milk, cookies, and a Mars bar. FOOD!

I came back and snacked. Started typign my blog, and catching up with everyone. I watched a couple episodes of Greek online (how quickly my life returns to "normal"). I'm still not finished typing up my updates, so I have to handwrite this, or my blog will be out of order. Sad day.

I got to talk to Liss for an hour and a half, and then Amanda for another hour. It was great :) Definitely made my day. Melisa invited me over for a real lunch. She bought lunch meat and everything. We hung out for a while. It really is weird not seeing her 24/7.  I'm not sure I like it...my room is lonely again. But I can blast  my music and sing along, which I love so much! Tomorrow, I'll finish my blog updates, and try to post pictures on Facebook. Should be loads of fun...

Apr 9, 2010: BANGOR!

I'm back in Bangor! It's going to be so much work to type all this. Props to whoever reads it all. I'm definitely glad I wrote it all though--I want to hang onto these memories.

We were able to take the 5:17 train to Chepstow. We didn't even go all the way to Chepstow, because Newport was along the way, and we also had tickets from Newport to Crewe to Bangor. I had a muffin for breakfast, and some oreos. So healthy. It's all I could find.

I tried to sleep on and off while on the trains. It's hard because they announce every stop. Plus, I didn't want to miss any of my changes. I got back to Bangor around noon. I unpacked, showered, did some laundry. I was feeling very productive. I had some microwave popcorn--the only food in my room--and at 3, I laid down for a nap. I set my alarm for 6...I had plans to go grocery shopping with Melisa, and talk to people. I woke up at about 1 am...whoops.

I went over to Melisa's room then. She fed me, and we exchanged pictures. It's going to be weird to not actually be living with her now. Lame. I came back to my room around 2:30 am, and talked to my parents :) I'm alive, safe, etc. And now it's time for bed again. I'm not setting an alarm :)

Apr 8: El fin

I am freezing. As I write this, I am sitting outside the Bristol Temple Meads train station. But I should probably start back at the beginning:

Melisa and I attempted to sleep in. But our first two roommates woke up at 6:30 am...and turned on all the lights and everything while they were getting ready. When they were done getting ready (literally HOURS later), the other two girls got up. I finally got out of bed at about 9:15, but I was not happy. We took our time eating breakfast, and then checked out of the hostel. We stored our stuff there for the day, rather than carrying it everywhere.

From there, we walked to el Palacio Real. On the way, we found a cute little marketplace. I somehow ended up buying another scarf--they're kind of irresistible, and I plan on giving most of them away anyway. We made it to el Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) around noon, and stood in line for a while. It was very sunny, and quite warm outside, so I didn't mind at all. Touring the palace was interesting. It was very pretty, and ornate. We saw a selection of rooms, all with massive chandeliers. Also, the chair designs all matched the walls, which was a little disconcerting. We got to see the armoury--although quite a bit of it it currently at the Prado for the Art of Power exhibit-- and the royal pharmacy.

Then we ate our pre-made sandwiches outside. Since it was about 2:30, we decided to make our way to the park--El Retiro. We got quite distracted along the way, stopping for snacks and souvenirs. But we did get to spend a few hours at the park, relaxing in the sun. We rented a little boat, for less than 5 euro! Melisa was amused by how excited I was--I spent 45 minutes rowing around the water. It was pretty great :)

We took the metro back to the hostel, where we picked up our stuff, and then took the metro again, to the airport. Since then, we've done a lot of waiting. Our plane left at 9:15, and landed in Bristol at about 10:30. We just sat in the airport--played some card games, etc.

Our first train (Bristol to Chepstow) is supposed to leave at 6:10 am. But we looked online, and there is an earlier train we'd like to get on, at 5:17 am. There are buses that run all day and night from the airport to the train station, so we took an early one (3:05am). We thought it would be open, since there are buses that run to the train station a few times every hour. It wasn't. It opens at 5 am, which barely gives us time to try to change our tickets. It does, however, give us an hour and a half outside, in the cold.

We're supposed to (or had planned to) go to Tintern Abbey tomorrow (today). But we're both really tired, and we're thinking about skipping that. There are a ton of earlier trains to Bangor, and we're going to try to get on one. We both just want to be back now, and I cannot wait to crawl into my bed.

Hopefully everything will work out. I'm not too concerned. We'll just deal with whatever happens, which is what we've been doing all along. It'll be over soon.

Apr 7, 2010: "I just thought it was a monkey"

I didn't sleep well last night, or the night before. It's really frustrating, and it makes me crabby. I'll be really glad to get back to Bangor, and "my" bed. Getting up this morning was not fun. I really don't like mornings.

After breakfast, we walked to the Reina Sofia museum, where we met Kat and Lauren. Students get in free, which was awesome. It had a lot of paintings by Dali and Picasso. I got to see Guernica, which we talked about in my Spanish class a few years ago. When we were done at the Reina Sofia, we split up. Kat and Lauren had limited time, since they were only here for about a day and a half. So they left to go wander, while Melisa and I went to the Prado Museum, which Kate' recommended to me. I really liked the art there--it was very pretty. And I was actually familiar with a few of the artists, which I did not expect.

Then, Melisa and I went on a mission to find Chocolateria San Gines, which Hannah suggested. There, we had chocolate and churros. They were pretty good, though I can't say I was that impressed. I haven't had much fried food all semester, so the churros were a bit overwhelming. But I do love chocoalte, and it was fun. After that, we wandered through some shops, etc., just exploring and wasting time. Melisa and I were both really excited to come back and nap.

My nap was really good...I actually slept for a few hours. I'm still tired, and looking forward to crawling into bed tonight. After our naps, we both showered and repacked. Everything fits surprisingly well in our bags--I was surprised.

The new visitors at our hostel are really loud, and ALL teenagers. One of them had this noisemaker--they sell these noisemakers all over Madrid apparently. I sounds kind of like a chipmunk, or a cartoon character. I told Melisa that whoever made them really sucked, and her response? "Oh, I just thought it was a monkey." She hadn't really been paying attention, and was actually pretty serious. I had to remind her that we are in Spain, not Brazil. I can't imagine there being lots of wild monkeys here--or even tame ones, really.

For dinner, we were craving either pasta or pizza. We ended up eating at a restaurant called "Nebraska." My pizza was ok, but not my favorite. It was four cheese, and one of the cheeses had a strange flavor. I had flan for dessert--more traditional food. It was good, but I think I prefer gelato. I miss Italy!

After dinner, we returned to the hostel. We checked our email, Facebook, etc. I'm really tired, but not sure I'll be able to sleep. But I don't feel like sitting on Facebook, waiting for people to come online. Soon I'll be back in Bangor, with my own computer and everything :)

Tomorrow, we are sleeping in and having a late breakfast. Then, we are going to el Palacio Real, and El Retiro park again. We have to be at the airport around 7, which gives us plenty of time to explore and relax. We'll be landing in Bristol, and staying at the airport until our train leaves the next morning. I'm tired of trying to sleep in airports. I'll be so glad to be travelling soon!

Apr 6, 2010: Toledo

We slept in until 9:30 today. We've both been really tired lately--probably because we've been skipping our siestas! It's most likely better that way...we don't really need naps. I just like them. Plus my bed is warm and comfy.

We had a nice, quiet breakfast today. Then we hopped on the metro and went to the bus station. It's really easy now that we've figured out the metro. We made the 11:00 am bus. The ride was only about 45 minutes, which wasn't bad. Plus I charged my iPod yesterday, so I had great music! Lucas was waiting for us at the bus station. He led us around town, and showed us the sights. He also magically pulled some chocolate pastries out of his bag, and they were delicious. It was a great start to my day--plus the weather was gorgeous...sunny and mid-70's!

We saw another castle, and some pretty churches. Apparently Toledo is known for its sword-making. It's where swords are made for movies, like Lord of the Rings, 300, Gladiator, etc. They were pretty cool--I looked at them in one of the shop windows. Swords aren't really my thing, but it was interesting.

We mostly walked around, shopped etc. I keep finding cute stuff that I want to buy, but there's no room in my luggage, I'm sure. I'll be luck if I can get everything home--back to Bangor, that is. I have no doubt it'll all make it home--I've found that my backpack is like a magical suitcase, and things somehow all fit into it. I feel a little bit like Mary Poppins.

One of the first things we did in Toledo was go to a market. Toledo has a market every Tuesday, where all these vendors set up in the park. Yesterday I broke my sunglasses, so I needed to buy new ones. For 5 euro, I got a really cute pair. They're GUGGI...like GUCCI, but now. It made me laugh, and I knew my family would love it too.

Then we had paella for lunch (traditional Spanish food, finally). Paella is a rice dish--we didn't have regular paella. That was seafood, and in every picture I've seen, the crawfish still have eyes and everything. Definitely not something I would want to eat. We had paella with vegetables, and paella with meat. I may have eaten rabbit today...not entirely sure.

After lunch, Lucas had to go to class. Melisa and I sat outside in a park, and eventually hopped back on a bus to Madrid. While on our way, Melisa got a text message from Kat--Kat and Lauren are in Madrid! We met them at the Reina Sofia, but it was closed (we'll be meeting them there in the morning). We took them to get delicious pastries--they also loved the pastries. Then we had to take Kat to the doctor. She thinks she may have Tonsilitis again--she got that in Rome. We waited quite a while, and the doctor was not helpful. She told Kat it was just allergies, and wrote 2 prescriptions...one for ibuprofen, and one for tylenol. Kat was not pleased. She does have allergies, to nearly everything it seems. But she's had them for years, so she knows the difference between allergies and sickness...

When we were done at the doctor, it was 9 pm, and time for dinner. We went to Pans & Co, where we got delicious sandwiches. They also have the best Fanta--it's better on tap than in a bottle or can. We were able to share stories and catch up, which is always great. Finally, we split up to return to our hostels.

Now, there are a TON of teenagers here at our hostel. There is a big concert in Madrid soon (actually a series of them, I think), and we think that's why all the teenagers are here. They are annoying, and they hog the computers. Teenagers in any country are not exactly my favorite. Anyway, seeing as I can barely keep my eyes open, I'm off to bed. I'll be exploring museums tomorrow!

Apr 5, 2010: Un Viaje a Segovia

Today was such a good day, but I'm exhausted. I didn't sleep well last night, and we got up early (8:30 am). We had a very quiet breakfast--I think the giant group of people has checked out. Then we took the metro to the bus station, so that we could take a bus to nearby Segovia.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of bus stations, and the first one we went to was wrong. But, we hopped back on the metro and got to the right one, in time for the 11:00 am bus. The bus ride was just over and hour, and I tried to sleep. It was too difficult, and I had more fun looking out the window anyway. The mountains here are also gorgeous, and the Spanish countryside is very green.

Segovia is an adorable little town. The buildings look like they might be made of adobe--I love that orange color, especially with the green grass all around. We wandered through town for hours. From the bus station, we walked down a fairly busy street, until we reached the Tourist Information Center. I have a slight obsession with maps, and being able to find my way around. I waited in line, and then asked the woman at the counter (in Spanish, since we are in Spain) if she had a map. She responded in English--wanting to know if I would like a German version of the map. Do I sound German when I speak Spanish? It was a little strange, but funny. I requested an English version of the map.

The Tourist Info Center is right next to the aquaduct. We got to climb up steps to the top, and the view was fabulous. We spent a lot of time today just admiring how pretty Segovia is. It was very quiet as well, and peaceful. Melisa and I have decided we want to live there. I'm not sure what I'd do all day though--begging's not my style. Maybe I could open a shop.

Our map had a lot of places marked--tons of churches and old houses. Things weren't clearly labelled though, so it was hard to know if we saw the things that we though we were seeing. We paid 3 euro to go into the Cathedral of Segovia, which was huge! It was pretty, and there was an enormous organ. There was also a lot of gold, which appears to be a common theme in the churches here. It's hard to describe--around the sides of the church were numerous shrines and scenes--many completely covered in gold. It was very impressive.

Then we sat in a lovely park outside and enjoyed the sun. It was so warm and sunny--I loved it! We watched this woman get mad at her dog. She let if off of its leash, and then it completely ignored her. It jumped in the fountain, adn wouldn't get out. When she tried to put its leash on, it thought she was playing. Eventually she just walked away, muttering angrily in Spanish. I made out a few key words, like STUPID. But the dog followed her when she walked away...too funny!

It was a short walk from the park to el castillo--el Alcazar de Segovia. It was a giant castle--in fact, the one that Disney used as a model for Sleeping Beauty's castle. We paid a few euros to go in, and tour it. It was much more complete than the castles in Wales. There were tapestries, paintings, thrones, etc. I enjoyed it. Then I climbed to the top of the tower--152 steps. It really wasn't too bad, and I think the view was worth it! Going back down the tower was when I realized that my legs hated me. They've enjoyed the lack of stairs lately.

 

Melisa and I found a late lunch in Segovia, and then hopped back on a bus to Madrid. The bus was really comfortable, but I'd given up on sleep by then. Rather than take the metro, we walked back to our hostel from the bus station. It really wasn't that far, and we like walking.

I was able to get on a computer, and talk to a few of my friends, as well as my parents. I really miss being able to actually talk to people, and see them. I'll be happy to get back to Bangor on Friday! I will miss all of the places I've been though--they're great places. Spring break has really gone by fast--I can't believe it. Soon I'll be back in Bangor, probably wishing  I was in Rome or Paris! But I'm excited to stop travelling...it makes me feel like I don't have a home!

Apr 4, 2010: Easter

We intended to go to mass today, but that never happened. There are a ton of churches everywhere--how would we PICK? Plus, none of them are in English. We ended up sleeping in and having a late breakfast.  We met Lucas around noon. We wanted to watch a parade/procession, but couldn't find the locations on our map. So instead, we went to el Rastro, the flea market that Madrid has every Sunday. All these vendors set up on a series of streets, by Puerta del Sol. It was PACKED. There were so many people. It was way too hard to shop with everyone around. We mostly just wandered through and looked around at stuff.

Then, we went back to the famous pastry shop that Lucas showed us. I love their chocolate pastries, and for 1 euro, I could eat them every day. We walked around, and found the end of a parade--playing music in Plaza Mayor. Also in the plaza were people that we've seen every day, dressed as cartoon characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Shrek, Winnie the Pooh, and fat, creepy Spiderman. Not my favorite, and if I was a child, I'd be scared. Apparently fat Spiderman smokes as well. What a great role model...but then again, I'm pretty sure that EVERYONE in Europe smokes. It's so gross, and I'm really sick of inhaling smoke.

After hanging out in the plaza for a while, we went to lunch. I really love ham and cheese baguettes! Then Lucas had to leave, so Melisa and I returned to our hostel for a siesta! After napping and showering, we went to dinner. We chose to have Easter dinner at TGI Fridays. It was good to have American food on Easter, when Melisa and I were both missing home.

I was really sad to miss Easter. Both sets of my grandparents were at my house--I miss them. Plus I really just love my family. I did get to instant message them for a while. I've requested that we have another Easter when I return!

Apr 3, 2010: Tapas!

Bah--today was another long day. After breakfast, we left to meet Lucas. But he was running behind, so we got Starbucks and waited. It was still too cold outside! When Lucas arrived, we mostly just wandered. He's been to Madrid before, so he showed us this famous pastry shop. It was cheap, and way too good. I'm definitely going back. Then we found a cyber cafe, so Lucas could look up his hostel info and check in.

Finding his hostel was pretty easy. We dropped off his stuff, and then wandered more. It was raining a little bit, which was not exciting. We attempted to watch this "procession" thing at a church. We got there about 30 minutes early, and it was running behind. 30 minutes after it was supposed to start, we gave up.Melisa and Lucas were soaked by that time. An older couple shared their umbrella with me. They didn't speak any English, but made it clear that I should stand with them. They were nice :)

After getting soaked, we all came back to our hostel (mine and Melisa's) and hung out. It was warm and dry, which was all we were looking for, really. Rain and my hair don't mix well, so I took a shower. Plus the shower here is pretty great. Then we went out for tapas. In Spain, tapas are kind of like appetizers--they are served at bars when you order drinks. At the first bar, we all just had coke. We got served french fries with mayo, and another set of french fries with tartar sauce, as our free tapas. We also ordered mozzarella sticks, which reminded me of home.

At the next bar, we ordered actual drinks, which was interesting. I decided on a whiskey and coke, but had to pick my whiskey. And then the waiter poured it in front of me, and literally half of my drink was whiskey. Not my favorite. At this bar, the free tapa was a bowl of nuts, so we actually ordered food. We got canapes--mine was canape con tortilla, which isn't tortillas we we know it in the U.S. It's a mixture of eggs, potatoes, and peppers, and one of my friends recommended it to me. It was really good.

We decided that we wanted to go to this really famous club, Kapital. It has seven floors, each with a different theme. But it's horrendously overpriced--18 euro to get in, and about 10 euro per drink. We split up, and went back to our respective hostels to get ready.

But we changed our minds, which happens a lot. We didn't really want to go out. Instead, we sat in our hostel for a few hours, talking to our roommates. The German guys taught us all a whole bunch of phrases--it was pretty hilarious listening to non-Germans trying to speak German.

We thought (again) about going to a bar/club, but considering that it's 2:16 am, I don't think that'll be happening. No clubs for me...I much prefer to sleep!

Apr 2, 2010: Good Friday

I feel like all I do here is sleep, which really isn't true. Although I am on spring break, and should be able to sleep as much as I want. We do get out for a few hours every day, and then again each night for dinner. I wish it was warmer outside so we could hang out, instead of napping (ha).

I woke up at 9:30 this morning, still pretty tired. I haven't been sleeping well, but it might be because I nap every day! For someone who loves sleeping as much as I do, you'd think I'd be in heaven. But I'm going a bit crazy from the lack of activity. Seriously. But today, we intended to do a lot more. We just forgot that since it's a holiday (Good Friday) that literally almost everything is closed...

After breakfast, we both checked our email quick. I'm not entirely sure why I bother--most of it appears to be junk mail. But I'm used to checking my email about a billion times a day--it's just a habit! Then we bought all day metro passes! Lucas Felten, another Ripon student, is studying nearby in Toledo. His parents are visiting, so we all went out for dinner tonight. I was excited to see another Ripon student. Plus, Melisa and Lucas are good friends, so Melisa was SUPER excited.

We rode the metro to "Estrecho." Nearby is a museum called "Once" where you are supposed to be able to touch stuff! First of all, it was in the middle of nowhere. Secondly, it was closed! Bah. So we hopped back on the metro, and went to the soccer stadium...Santiago Bernabeu. We didn't care enough to pay for a tour, but we walked around outside, and visited the store. After that, we explored more. There is a metro stop called "Estadio Olympico" so we went there. Apparently they have started work on an Olympic Stadium, which is pretty cool. They aren't in line to host the Olympics, but I'm sure they want to be? We basically looked at the construction--couldn't actually go there because it was across two major highways. Also, there was not much else there. Kind of lame.

We decided to head back to our hostel for lunch. We got back around 2:30--had some nutella sandwiches, and took a really long nap. Nothing better to do! After napping, we hung out in our room for a while. James and Anna left...now there are two more American girls--from Oregon--Poppy and Abby. They seem really nice.

Then, we went back to the airport to meet Lucas and his family. They are super nice, but it made me miss my family! They took us out to dinner (at a German restaurant) near our hostel. It was good, plus I've missed talking to people who speak English. After our late dinner, Melisa and I dropped them all off at the metro, and returned to our hostel. Everyone was just leaving to go out and drink, at about 12:30 am. I was able to get online, and talk to a few of my friends, which made my day! Now it's off to bed--we're meeting Lucas after breakfast, and he is determined to makes sure that we stay busy all day!

Apr 1, 2010: Lissa's birthday!

Today has been a day full of mixed emotions. It's my sister's birthday, and I miss her so much. It's hard being away, and missing days like today. But I suppose I should start at the beginning...

I woke up at about 9, and laid in bed until 9:30. I couldn't go back to sleep, because we live next door to the kitchen, which is LOUD. I woke Melisa up, and made her go to breakfast with me. Breakfast is always crowded, but good. I did manage to spill hot chocolate all over myself--not the best way to start a day. There are washing machienes here, but I don't want to buy detergent. Ugh, fail.

After breakfast, we decided to wander (again). We went down the street with all the museums--lines were a few blockes long! We can't decide if it's always like this, or if it's so busy because it's a holiday? We might try the museums next week...when people have hopefully left. We did go into a church, which was pretty. I hate not knowing what things are though!

Eventually we ended up at El Parque del Buen Retiro, which is huge. I can't even explain how giant it is. It was hard to find things in it! We found the water, where Hannah recommended that we rent a boat. There were so many people there, so we think we'll try that after Easter. We still have about 4 days here after Easter, so we have plenty of time. We found el Palacio de Cristal, which was very...opaque and empty. Less exciting than anticipated. There is another "palace" in the park, but we couldn't find it. How do you not find a palace?

We did find a grocery store, where we were able to buy a loaf of bread and some nutella. I also got an ice cream cone, which is my favorite snack here. Melisa got a crepe cone at Haagen Daz--messy but apparently good. We sat outside for a while, then returned to the hostel around 2:30 pm.

We wanted to watch a movie, but the tv room was taken, by the mentally disabled people who are here. There are about 30 of them, and they seem very nice, but besides being disabled, they don't speak English. It makes things a little bit hard. I always want to help them when they get frustrated on the computers, but I have no idea what they want :( Anyway, we played pool instead. I'm not any good at pool, at all, but it was fun. Eventually we had to leave because two of the disabled people were trying to nap in that room, and they wanted us to leave...awkward.

Then we spent some time on the computers and eventually napped. I could adjust to this schedule, for sure. We had 2 new roommates come last night, in addition to James and Anna, who I like. Anna speaks very little English, so James acts as a translator. The two new people were girls, only here for one night. I never even got to learn their names, because they were up bright and early. After our naps, we went online again. I really miss being able to talk to people, so I go online whenever I can.

I got to talk to my dad, and my sister, which was pretty great. I so miss my family. I wish I could actually talk, rather than just im, but these computers don't have microphones.Competition for computers is fierce, as always. There is this new guy, who has been on the computer literally ALL DAY. He was writing/editing a blog, and it took him forever.

We had a late dinner at Fres Co. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not very traditional, but it was good. And it was easy to find. I couldn't get the ice cream machine to stop, so I ended up with a lot more ice cream than I wanted. Good thing Melisa wanted ice cream too ;)

After dinner, I went online again. Very exciting, I know. I intended to call Melissa afterward, but apparently I can only TEXT people while I am travelling, not make calls. I cried a little, I was so upset. And then I made friends (ha).

We have two new roomies--the girls from last night are gone. Now there are two guys...cute, German guys. Their names are Lucas and Felix. They are students from Germany, studying law and engineering. They are very nice, and we had a really good talk. They had lots of questions about the US, etc. It was very fun. They tried to convince us to go out with them--I'm thinking maybe tomorrow? They are really nice AND...they speak English. Definite win. But I guess I'm going to bed now. Madrid is a nice city, but I wish I had more to do...

Mar 31, 2010: We need siestas in the US

Sleeping in today was great. I've missed sleeping in! I went to bed around 11:30 last night. No luck getting on computers. I might not actually be able to talk (ie instant message) with people. But I can usually get on in the early afternoon here, so sometimes people are up, getting ready for class. Maybe I can convince people to get up early ;)

I got up at 9:30, and had breakfast. It might be my favorite meal. It's free, and I can eat as much as I like, including toast, cereal, and some really good pastry things. I like it! It's served from 7:30 to 10:30, which is nice. We're trying to adjust to the eating schedule here, but it's hard. They do late meals, but I like to eat early. Fail.

After breakfast, we decided to wander. We headed in the direction of El Palacio Real (the Royal Palace). Along the way, we went into a bunch of stores. We love the fashion here, and prices aren't bad at all. But not only do I not need clothes, they'd never fit in my bag! So I definitely can't do any shopping. That's probably a good thing.

It was really easy to find the Palacio Real. It's huge. There was a GIANT line to get in. I'm not sure why--maybe there are a lot of people here for the holy week--Semana Santa? We decided to go into the cathedral next to the palace, but they charged to get in, and we didn't have any small change. Plus we've been into about a billion churches now, and almost all of them were free.

We hung out by the cathedral for a while, then decided to walk to the nearby temple. We attemped to find lunch nearby, at about 1:30, but there weren't restaurants. We did find the Debod Temple--an Egyptian temple that was relocated to Madrid. It was donated to Spain. How do you move a temple? And why would you give that to someone as a sign of gratitude? I think it's a little strange, but I enjoyed seeing some Egyptian history during my travels.

It was a nice, sunny day today, but still cold. So we didn't want to spend much time outside (and we were very disappointed by the cold). By 2, we really wanted food. But we have the hardest time finding places to eat. It's almost funny (except for the part when I am starving and don't have food). By the time we started finding restaurants, they were closing for "siesta." We ended up eating at Burger King (pathetic, I know) because it was open and we were starving. Then we got ice cream cones at a nearby shop, and sat in the sun to eat them. I love ice cream, even when it's cold outside :)

At about 3:30, we went back to our hostel. We just chilled for a while. No one was around, so we had unlimited computer usage for a while. That was nice, but no one was online! That's not true--I did get to talk to Dani and Missy, which made me happy. I miss so many people, and not getting to talk to anyone is rough.  I napped from about 5:30 to 7:30--I love siestas. My bed is warm and comfortable...I never want to leave it!

Melisa and I both showered, then went to find dinner. We're still really struggling. We want authentic Spanish food. We can find American-Spanish food, or Mexican food. They are very clearly labelled as such. I didn't come to Spain for Mexican food! And, many of the dinner places don't even open until 9 pm. We found sandwiches at "Pans and Co." which might be my new favorite restaurant. It turned out to be really good, even if it is the Spanish version of fast food.

Finally, we went back to our hostel again. I was able to get on a computer for about 30 minutes, which was good. I got to talk to my sister! I miss her like crazy, and her birthday is tomorrow! I forgot to tell her that I'm going to try to call her tomorrow...whoops. Oh well, it'll be ok. I wish more people had been online. I feel like a hermit. I'd like my life to return to normal, soon. And now I guess I'm going to bed? It's about 11:30 again. I could learn to love this sleep schedule. I do actually wish I had more to do. I seriously miss being busy. But no worries--I have two papers to write when I return to Bangor!

Mar 30, 2010: Pew, pew, pew!

I've decided that I love Madrid as well. Today has been a pretty good day, despite a serious lack of sleep. We checked in for our flight at at 5 am. I'm not a fan of the Milan-Malpensa airport. There is a lot of walking involved, and the "organization" confused me. I was able to get a chocolate croissant, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice though, which made me quite happy.

I attempted to sleep on the airplane, but that failed as much as the airport. The airport was too cold--I couldn't fall asleep. And on the airplane, the lady behind me was obnoxiously loud. She talked the ENTIRE time--what a lovely 2 hour flight. I was not pleased. Plus the plane hit some major turbulence as we reached Madrid--I've never been shaken so much! The flight attendent buckled herself in next to me, and looked way too concerned.

After landing safely at the airport, we walked forever to find the connecting metro station. And the Spanish metro is the most confusing metro yet. I'm still not quite sure how it works. We tried a few different trains until we got to the right metro stop. We didn't have directions from the metro stop to our hostel, OR a map. We looked at a small map posted inside the metro, and kind of winged it.

Finding the hostel was pretty easy. It's AMAZING. There is an exercise room, and a living room, complete with a sound system, a pool table, and a tv/dvd player. There is a multimedia room, with about 6 computers! We were able to get on them earlier, but I don't know how often that'll happen. There are quite a few people here!

We checked in around 11, and dropped off our stuff. We had to leave so they could clean the hostel, until 2 pm, but that wasn't so bad. The receptionist gave us a great (albeit HUGE) map, and circled places we should go. She was very nice. So Melisa and I wandered t a little stop for lunch. Then we found Starbucks (there is one on almost every block, it seems) and just chilled until 2. We were too tired to do anything else. It was cold, and a tiny bit rainy, so we didn't want to stay outside.

We went back at 2, and went online. Because of the 7 hour time difference, there were very few people online. I did send my parents a nice long email though. I'm hoping to be able to get back on tonight, and actually instant message my dad. These computers all have skype, but I'm pretty sure I'd need to actually buy a microphone. Oh well. Being able to instant message people will be nice.

Then Melisa napped, and I finished my book. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It was alright, but I didn't like it was much as I thought I would. There are books in the living room that I am use, but I'm not sure that I'm interested in the few English ones.

At about 7, we decided to find dinner. They do late dinners here, so we knew we definitely couldn't go earlier than that. We were hoping to find authentic Spanish food, but we're not sure what exactly that'd be. We kept finding pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. We gave up and had pizza at this restaurant. The waiter was definitely confused by our "early" meal. I am glad that Melisa and I both speak a little Spanish, because it makes everything a little bit easier.

After dinner (at about 9) we went back to our hostel. All of the computers are taken, but I'm hoping that the other people will either go to dinner, or maybe just go out. I don't really care much about the nightlife here--I'm here to see the sights, and relax. There is one nightclub that I've been told I should go to--it has like 7 floors, and each one supposedly has a different theme. It sounds really cool!

One last thing I love about Madrid--the stoplights. In Bangor, when you are supposed to cross, you get the green "walk" sign and a fast, angry beeping noise. Here, the noise is much more interesting. It goes "pew, pew, pew" like toy guns. It sounds like a little kid is pretending to shoot a gun, and it's hilarious.

I might go back to the living room and try to find a book to read. I'm tired, but I'd really love to talk to my parents. Ugh. If the computers are all still taken at 11, then I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted as it is. Sleeping at the airport was an epic fail. I'm so excited for this bed tonight! I have a nice warm blanket and everything. Honestly though, I couold probably sleep on the floor and be happy. If I'm tired enough, anything will do. After getting up early two days in a row, I'm more than ready to crawl into my bed!